6 Favorite Herbal Teas from the Mother Earth Living Editors

The Mother Earth Living editors share their picks for healthful winter brews.

By Mother Earth Living staff

| January/February 2013

Green tea is my beverage of choice—partly because I know it’s one of the best choices for my health. It’s rich in antioxidants, and early clinical studies suggest that its polyphenols may play a role in cancer prevention. I also like that its low caffeine levels provide an energy boost without making me jittery. Choice Organic Teas’ Premium Korean Green is my favorite—it’s light and refreshing without too much of the smoky flavor green teas can sometimes have. - Susan Melgren, Web EditorPhoto Courtesy Choice Organic Teas

Enjoy a healthful brew with the Mother Earth Living editors’ picks for favorite healthy teas.Photo By iStockphoto

For a comforting winter treat that helps soothe a scratchy throat, I love Frontier Co-op’s Organic Luscious Licorice Tea. I buy this delicious blend in bulk and sip it throughout winter to warm chilly nights and fend off illness. The tea is made with licorice root—a supersweet herb that’s both an antiviral and a demulcent, meaning it coats the throat and relieves irritation—along with blood sugar-stabilizing cinnamon, antioxidant cloves and calming chamomile. - Jessica Kellner, Editor-in-ChiefPhoto Courtesy Frontier Co-op

I drink Mountain Rose Herbs’ Red Rooibos as an afternoon treat—it’s a great caffeine-free alternative to black tea. My kids enjoy rooibos mixed with honey and half-and-half. Rooibos is low in tannins and high in antioxidants. It has a smooth, pleasing taste, and a growing body of evidence suggests its antioxidants may reduce the risk of heart disease and inhibit aging. It may also soothe, protect and repair the skin. - Amy Mayfield, Copy EditorPhoto Courtesy Mountain Rose Herbs

During lunch, I like to treat myself to a glass of NOW Foods’ Feelin’ Groovy, a slightly tart blend that makes a perfect pick-me-up. It tastes great over ice and is enriched with a variety of health-benefiting herbs including hibiscus, peppermint, echinacea, ginger and stevia. Recent studies show that Hibiscus sabdariffa is loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C and has the potential to lower blood pressure. - Gina DeBacker, Assistant EditorPhoto Courtesy NOW Foods

Numi Organic Tea’s Moroccan Mint is the perfect daytime refresher, thanks to its invigorating minty scent. I sip it midmorning and midafternoon for a little boost during prime productivity hours. The essential oils in mint contain menthol, which has proven antimicrobial actions. Plus, it chases away upset stomach and soothes indigestion, so it’s perfect to tuck into a travel bag or sip in transit. - Allison Martin, Managing EditorPhoto Courtesy Numi Organic Tea

As an expecting mom, I lived off of Yogi’s Mother To Be tea for the first four months of pregnancy. It was one of the most helpful things I found for morning sickness, which includes a list of about 20 other things I tried to eat, drink or do to feel better. This blend features raspberry leaf, which is helpful for strengthening the uterus, stomach-soothing peppermint to ease morning sickness, and digestive aids cardamom, fennel and nettle. - Tabitha Alterman, Food & Garden EditorPhoto Courtesy Yogi

Here at Mother Earth Living, we’re no strangers to tea. The shelves in our office are always stocked with tried-and-true brews and new flavors we’re eager to taste. Not only is it one of our jobs to scout the best-tasting teas for our readers (lucky us!), we know that drinking tea daily can give our health a boost. And best of all, there are hundreds of delicious tea options to choose from. We decided to put all this tea-drinking experience to good use and share some of our all-time medicinal favorites with you.

Jessica Kellner, Editor-in-Chief

For a comforting winter treat that helps soothe a scratchy throat, I love Frontier Co-op’s Organic Luscious Licorice Tea. I buy this delicious blend in bulk and sip it throughout winter to warm chilly nights and fend off illness. The tea is made with licorice root—a supersweet herb that’s both an antiviral and a demulcent, meaning it coats the throat and relieves irritation—along with blood sugar-stabilizing cinnamon, antioxidant cloves and calming chamomile.

Allison Martin, Managing Editor

Numi Organic Tea’s Moroccan Mint is the perfect daytime refresher, thanks to its invigorating minty scent. I sip it midmorning and midafternoon for a little boost during prime productivity hours. The essential oils in mint contain menthol, which has proven antimicrobial actions. Plus, it chases away upset stomach and soothes indigestion, so it’s perfect to tuck into a travel bag or sip in transit.

Gina DeBacker, Assistant Editor

During lunch, I like to treat myself to a glass of NOW Foods’ Feelin’ Groovy, a slightly tart blend that makes a perfect pick-me-up. It tastes great over ice and is enriched with a variety of health-benefiting herbs including hibiscus, peppermint, echinacea, ginger and stevia. Recent studies show that Hibiscus sabdariffa is loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C and has the potential to lower blood pressure.

Susan Melgren, Web Editor

Green tea is my beverage of choice—partly because I know it’s one of the best choices for my health. It’s rich in antioxidants, and early clinical studies suggest that its polyphenols may play a role in cancer prevention. I also like that its low caffeine levels provide an energy boost without making me jittery. Choice Organic Teas’ Premium Korean Green is my favorite—it’s light and refreshing without too much of the smoky flavor green teas can sometimes have.

Tabitha Alterman, Food & Garden Editor

As an expecting mom, I lived off of Yogi’s Mother To Be tea for the first four months of pregnancy. It was one of the most helpful things I found for morning sickness, which includes a list of about 20 other things I tried to eat, drink or do to feel better. This blend features raspberry leaf, which is helpful for strengthening the uterus, stomach-soothing peppermint to ease morning sickness, and digestive aids cardamom, fennel and nettle.

Amy Mayfield, Copy Editor

I drink Mountain Rose Herbs’ Red Rooibos as an afternoon treat—it’s a great caffeine-free alternative to black tea. My kids enjoy rooibos mixed with honey and half-and-half. Rooibos is low in tannins and high in antioxidants. It has a smooth, pleasing taste, and a growing body of evidence suggests its antioxidants may reduce the risk of heart disease and inhibit aging. It may also soothe, protect and repair the skin.

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